Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Author: admin

  • Camping – Day 1 (Eyam – St. Lawrence’s Church – Harry Bagshaw)

    Camping – Day 1 (Eyam – St. Lawrence’s Church – Harry Bagshaw)

    This grave is located in St. Lawrence’s Church in Eyam, marking the life of Harry Bagshaw who lived from 1859 to 1927. According to Wikipedia, as let’s face it I’m not really a cricket expert, he was a first-class cricketer for Derbyshire and he was also a cricket umpire. He was born in Foolow, a village just outside of Eyam and his gravestone is an impressive affair with some cricketing imagery. During his lifetime he worked as a lead miner and his gravestone has the words:

    “For when that one great scorer comes
    To write against your name
    He writes – not that you won or lost
    But how you played the game”

  • Camping – Day 1 (Eyam – Plague Cottage)

    Camping – Day 1 (Eyam – Plague Cottage)

    I’m not sure that this must be the most delightful place to live, but what is now known as the Plague Cottage was lived in by George Viccars who was the first person to die of the plague in Eyam in 1665. He worked as a tailor and he brought the disease to the village in a box of cloth that had fleas which were infected with the plague. Reports say that when he opened up the box he commented on how damp it smelled, but he hung the cloth up to dry and soon reported that he felt ill. I have to say, this wasn’t an ideal situation for all concerned.

    The house looks beautiful today with its floral displays, but there is a real sense of tragedy to it. As the sign notes, George Viccars, the employed hand who brought the cloth in, was the first to die on 7 September 1665. Mary Hadfield, who had children with her previous husband, saw her son, Edward, die on 22 September 1665 and her son, Jonathan, die aged 12 on 2 October 1665. Alexander Hadfield, her new husband, died on 3 August 1666, a surprising gap between the deaths. Mary Hadfield survived the plague, but she lost thirteen of her relatives during the disaster.

  • Camping – Day 1 (Wardlow – Yondermann Cafe)

    Camping – Day 1 (Wardlow – Yondermann Cafe)

    So, Jonathan and Steve had their fancy porridge pots in the morning, whereas Richard and I didn’t have anything. Richard demanded breakfast, so off we shot at 07:50 to get to the Yondermann Cafe at 08:00 just as it opened. This was probably a good thing as not only were we the first people there, it also started to get busy and I was able to get the table nearest to the plug socket. Some things in life are the most important.

    The staff seemed pleased and welcoming to discover we were there just as they were opening up, just the kind of friendly first impression that’s so refreshing to see in the morning. And since I’d already been up hours, refreshing seemed sensible. Richard was very impressed with the selection, so what with him happy at the food choices and me happy at the power situation, life seemed complete. Oh, Jonathan and Steve were just happy that we were happy, it’s nice when people are like that, very selfless.

    The cake selection.

    I had the small Yondermann breakfast, which came with a filter coffee. Reasonably priced, and brought over promptly, it was cleanly presented. The quality of the ingredients was high and even the black pudding, something which I’m rather delicate over as blood is not one of my most favourite things, was pleasant tasting. The sausage was a little small, but had a richness of flavour, the bacon didn’t have much fat on and was nicely salted, the egg was cooked perfectly so I could dip the bread into it and the tomatoes were from a tin and just as I like them. I’m not sure about oatcakes as part of the breakfast, but this was as good tasting as I think they come and it soaked up some of the beans and tomato juices. All entirely satisfactory as far as I was concerned, a very useful way to start the day. The bread was unexciting and the spread seemed a bit margariney rather than buttery, but you can’t have everything.

    This photo was taken just as I sat down to plug my phone in, but it didn’t stay like this for long. Everything was clean and the whole social distancing situation was being well managed.

    I’m not entirely sure that this sign in their car park was as absolutely clear in its message as it could have been.

    Overall, this was all rather lovely and I was content with my choice. We always felt welcome, we were never rushed, the food and drink was all suitably hot and the environment was clean. There was a bit of a motor-biker feel to the cafe, so I assume that they get a passing trade from them, as well as from the nearby campsite (nor the one that we’re at). The cafe is well-reviewed and

  • Camping – Day 1 (Morning has Broken)

    Camping – Day 1 (Morning has Broken)

    Morning has broken in Derbyshire and it’s just gone 5am. Fortunately, this meant the shower area was empty, namely because most people don’t get up at 5am. What a lovely way to start the day.

  • Camping – Day 0 (Bloody Camping)

    Camping – Day 0 (Bloody Camping)

    Firstly, and most important news, there’s phone signal here, so life will have some sort of normality.

    Secondly, I’ve been reminded how bloody stressful tents are. I laid out all the pieces of Liam’s tent on the floor, then gave up immediately as it was too difficult. After swearing and demanding attention from the others, it slowly started to take shape. Richard’s palace sized tent behind was erected and cast a shadow over my tent, although it soon got dark anyway so it didn’t much matter.

    So, we’re now drinking beer (thanks to Steve who brought some as apparently we can’t go to the pub tonight) and it’s quite peaceful. Well, it’s not in my tent, I can see that half of the Derbyshire moth population is inside it, I’m leaving that crisis until later. I’m also pitched on quite a small piece of land, so my doorway leads into a bush and it’s all a bit hilly.

    This is most stressful. What I need now is a lovely Accor hotel with a welcome drink, a door, an en-suite bathroom, a window and not having to my own roof up. I’ve mentioned this several times and I imagine I’ll mention it several more times. The others are chatting away now, but I needed to get this urgent blog post up…..

  • Camping – Day 0 (Shut Greggs)

    Camping – Day 0 (Shut Greggs)

    Well, this isn’t ideal, the Greggs on the A14 at Spaldwick had closed 13 minutes before we got there. The lights were just turned off when we got there, ready to binge buy chicken bakes.

    Oh well, instead we went to the McDonald’s at Kettering, and a chicken wrap of the day. It wasn’t Greggs, but it was open.

  • Camping – Day 0

    Camping – Day 0

    And, for this weekend, the blog be coming live from a field in Derbyshire somewhere….. A little camping trip, which will probably be awful as camping irritates me.

    The camp-site has sent us a photo of our field, which is really handy as we can see all the facilities we’ll be getting. So, armed with Liam’s tent (and happy birthday to Liam, who is celebrating by not being stuck in a field all weekend) four of us are ready for the off.

    What could possibly go wrong?

  • Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 134

    Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue – Day 134

    The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue was first published at the end of the eighteenth century, and given that the current health crisis is giving too much time to read books, I thought I’d pick a daily word from it until I got bored….

    Galligaskins

    The dictionary defines this simply as “breeches” and although the term was meant more broadly to mean trousers, it was originally specifically the loose and wide trousers which were popular in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. It is suggested that the word derives from ‘grechesco’, meaning the way things are done in Greece, and apparently this style of trousers derives from the old Greek style. I’m not sure quite how this evolved into the current word, but most dictionaries seem to give the same derivation.

    This is one of those words which has now fallen entirely out of usage, but it does have a rather beautiful nature to it.

  • Brandon – Brandon Railway Station Update

    Brandon – Brandon Railway Station Update

    Some good news from SAVE’s Britain’s Heritage who have issued a statement today about Brandon railway station. I must admit I’m surprised, although having written that, I couldn’t get any answer from Greater Anglia about this and they didn’t seem to really know what they were doing. They couldn’t even tell me if there was to be any salvage attempt at the building or whether any of the frontage could be kept.

    Anyway, SAVE’s press statement notes:

    “A delightful country station dating from the golden decade of railway building and used in the filming of Dad’s Army has received a reprieve from imminent demolition. A High Court order issued today quashed the decision by Breckland District Council to allow the demolition of the 1845 station building at Brandon on the Cambridge to Norwich line. This follows judicial review proceedings launched by SAVE Britain’s Heritage seeking the quashing of the Council’s decision.

    The Council had issued a lawful development certificate which said that Greater Anglia could construct a new car park under the railway permitted development rights. The Council accepted that they had failed to apply the legal test for what was railway land and overlooked SAVE’s representations.

    In its response to the legal challenge the Council consented to the quashing of the certificate. Greater Anglia did not resist the Court order. SAVE will now work with the Suffolk Building Preservation Trust on new plans for repairing this historic station and bringing it back to use. A listing application has also been submitted to Historic England – supported by SAVE – and we are expecting a recommendation imminently.”

  • Norwich – Drunken Dash and Daring

    Norwich – Drunken Dash and Daring

    This news story is from 1860, when a robbery took place on White Lion Street in Norwich.

    “William Marsham, on bail, was charged with stealing a coat, the property of Mr. George Womack, clothier, White Lion Street. Mr C. Cooper, who prosecuted, said the intent with which the prisoner took the coat did not seem to be a felonious one, and, therefore, with the Recorder’s permission, he should not offer any evidence. The Recorder, addressing the prisoner, said he entirely believed the statement the prisoner made to the policeman, that he had never known a happy moment since he took this coat, and he entirely believed that the prisoner had no felonious intention. That was evident from his going to the shop and putting the coat on before the eyes of all the shopmen. It was a case of drunken dash and daring, and he hoped the prisoner, having placed himself in such jeopardy by his intemperance would be wiser for the future, and abandon a vice which to young men in his position was often the first step to theft. The prisoner was then discharged”.

    I can’t tell whether it was the father or son George Womack, but the former died in 1860 at the age of 72, whilst the son died in the Thorpe Rail Disaster of 1874, a tragedy where 15 people were killed. William Marsham was lodging at a property in Porter’s Square in Norwich a year later, working as a bricklayer, but I can’t work out where he went after 1861.

    But, I do like the pragmatism of the Norwich courts at the time, as well as the phrase “drunken dash and daring”.